Shoe last



July 16, 1957 H. e. CLAUSING SHOE LAST Filed Feb. 13, 1956 I IN I; EN TOR.

He 6 C all-$17? BY "r9 9 x F ml74r il Q a 3 2 5 2 United States Patent SHOE LAST Henry G. Clausing, Portsmouth, Ohio, assignor to Vulcan Corporation, Portsmouth, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 13, 1956, Serial No. 564,944 Claims. (Cl. 12136) The present invention relates to improvements in shoe lasts.

It is an object ofthis invention to provide a two-part slip last that is positively maintained in rigid, expanded condition by means of the relationship between the hinge link and certain portions of the mating faces of the last parts thereby obviating the necessity of positive last locking devices for holding the parts in expanded .condition and release devices therefor. 1

Another object of this invention is to provide a twopart slip last which has an impositive and yieldable catch means for releasably holding'the parts in expanded operative positions and preferably also in releasable contracted positions; rigidity of the last parts in operative last positions being secured by the cooperative relationship between the link and certain portions of the mating faces of the last parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a last having the foregoing characteristics that will withstand all the stresses and strains incident to every kind of shoe forming operation.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts .as hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the longitudinal center of the expanded, two-part shoe last of this invention, parts being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a' view similar to Fig. 1 showing the shoe last in contracted condition.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hinge link for the last shown in'Figs. 1-3.

The last as herein shown comprises a forepart 5 and an interfitting heel part 6. The mating faces 7 and 8, respectively, of these parts are complementary and generally extend obliquely from the instep 9 of the last downwardly and rearwardly to the last thread 10. The forepart and heel part are provided with communicating, narrow routs 11 and 12, respectively, which extend heightwise in the last for snugly receiving a non-flexible link 13 that is preferably a heavy metal stamping. The last parts are articulated on the link for relative movement from the last extended position shown in Fig. 1 to the contracted last position illustrated in Fig. 2 by means of a pivot pin 14 anchored in the forepart 5 and passing through an annular hole 15 formed through one end of the link and by a pivot pin 16 anchored in the heel part 6 and passing through an annular hole 17 formed through 1 the opposed end of the link.

An impositive latching means is interposed between the link and a fixed abutment on one of the parts to yieldably hold the last parts in operative extended positions, and, preferably in last contracted positions, said 2,799,033 Patented July 16, 1957 means readily yielding to either last expanding or last contracting forces exerted in a particular manner from the outside on the last parts. The impositive latching means is shown as a resilient arm 18 mounted at one end in an intermediate portion of the link and inclined at an angle of less than 45 degrees with respect to the center line 19 of the pins 14 and 16. The arm is mounted on the link by forming an L-shaped slot 20 in the upper edge portion of the link about midway between its ends, said arm having an end 21 corresponding in shape. to and fitted in the slot against longitudinal displacement, it being noted that the snug fit of the link in the routs will preclude lateral movement of the arm'end from the slot.

I The arm has an inclined straight portion 22 which terminates at its upper "end in an oppositely inclined straight portion 23, the junction of said straight portions forming a single shoulder 24 on the upper edge 2 of the resilient arm. This upper edge 25 engages against the underside of'an abutment shown as fixed in the heel part, said abutment comprising a transverse pin 26 anchored in the said heel part and rotatably mounting thereon an antifriction roller- 27 that is located in the heel part rout 12 and. in rolling engagement with the upper edge 25 of the arm. The arm is held under tension by the position of the roller so that when the last is in extended position (Fig. 1) and the roller engages the straight portion 25 the arm 18 will yieldably urge the link 13 in a counterclockwise direction around the pivot pin 16 to bias the parts toward said extended positions whilst in last contracted position the roller will engage the straight part 23 and yieldably urge the link in a clockwise direction and heel part faces.

around the pivot pin 16 and bias the parts toward contracted positions, as shown in Fig. 2.

The impositive latch means just described becomes practical for an all purpose, two-part slip last when the mating surfaces in cooperation with the articulating link will alone maintain the last parts in operative, extended positions against a number of operating forces imposed on it in a variety of shoe lasting operations. To this end the mating faces have novel cooperating face portions identified in Fig. 2 as planar contacting portions 28 and 29 formed above the link in the fore and heel part faces 7 and 8, respectively, and planar contacting portions 30 and 31, respectively, formed below the link in the said fore The pairs of contacting planar faces are .positioned normal to the center line 19 of the link pivot pins 14 and 16 for the last parts for purposes to be described hereinafter. Cylindrical contacting portions 32 and 33 being-concave with respect to the forepart are formed on each side of the planar portions '2829 to provide instant foreshortening of the last parts, whilst cooperative shoulders 34 and 35 are formed on the parts between the cylindrical contacting portions 33 and the planar portions 30-31 to provide a stop that limits extension of the last parts.

According to this invention when the last is used in a sole leveling machine or a cement sole attaching machine, or the like, the heel part is supported on a jack and the forepart is supported on a rest. Pressure exerted by these machines tend to buckle the last parts at the center, said pressures being effectively resisted in my last by means of the relationship of the link 13 and the planar contacting portions 3031 of the last part mating faces 7 and 8. When, however, the last is held upon a machine jack only and downward pressures are exerted on the tread side of the forepart the last parts are held in extended position by the link 13 and the planar contacting portions 28-29 of the last part mating faces 7 and 8.

When it is desired to contract the last of this invention it is only necessary to mount the last on a jack post and then exert pressure on a part of the instep of the last forepart at a point adjacent the last part mating faces, such application of opening pressure tending to rotate the forepart counterclockwise (Fig. 1) around its pivot pin 14 whilst providing a downward swinging force on the link 13 clockwise around its pivot pin 16. The impositive latch arm 18 and its fixed abutment 27 will readily yield to either an opening or closing pressure exerted on the parts and will also tend to resist or bias the parts toward opened or closed positions after the fixed abutment has passed over the shoulder 24 formed in the contacting edge 25 of the arm by the intersection of the oppositely inclined straight portions 22 and 23 of said arm.

It will therefore be understood that the parts will be locked in operative extended positions for all shoe lasting operations by means of the link 13 and the cooperating planar portions formed in the last part mating surface both above and below the link, said planar portions being normal to the center line of the link pivot pins an chored in the last parts. Thus an impositive and externally operated latch may be interposed between the link and one last part and may be made to bias the last parts either toward their operative or inoperative positions after passing through an intermediate phase of relative movement toward either of said last part positions.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A two-part slip last comprising a forepart and a heel part having abutting generally oblique mating surfaces and cooperative stop shoulders, an anchor pin in each last part, a link having annular holes in its end portions encircling said pins, contacting planar portions formed in the last mating surfaces below the stop shoulders, contacting planar portions formed in the last mating surfaces above the stop shoulders, all of said planar surfaces being normal to the center line of the anchor pins when the last parts are in expanded, operative positions, and an impositive, overcenter resilient means interposed between a last part and the link for holding the parts in both expanded and contracted positions.

2. A two-part slip last comprising a forepart and a heel part having generally oblique, offset mating surfaces forming cooperative stop shoulders on the parts, communicating routs formed heightwise in the parts, a flat,

non-flexible link member disposed in the routs, a first.

pivot pin connecting one end of the member to the forepart, a second pivot pin connecting the opposed end of the member to the heel part, said hinge member having a resilient arm secured to an intermediate upper edge portion of the member and having a straight portion extending upwardly and rearwardly away from the body of the member, a downturned portion on the end of the arm, a fixed pin in one last part for engaging one and then the other of the arm portions as the last parts approach their expanded or contracted positions to impositively hold the parts in said positions, contacting planar portions formed in the last mating surface above the stop shoulders, and contacting planar portions formed in the last mating surfaces below the stop shoulders, said planar portions all being normal to the center line of the said pivot pins when the last parts are in expanded, operative positions.

3. A two-part slip last according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that an anti-friction roller surrounds the fixed pin and is in rolling contact with the resilient arm.

4. A two-part slip last comprising a forepart and a heel part having abutting generally oblique mating surfaces and cooperative stop shoulders, an anchor pin in each last part, a link having annular holes in its end portions encircling said pins, contacting planar portions formed in the last mating surfaces below the stop shoulders, contacting planar portions formed in the last mating surfaces above the stop shoulders, all of said planar surfaces being normal to the center line of the anchor pins when the last parts are in expanded, operative positions, and an impositive, overcenter resilient means interposed between a last part and the link for holding the parts in operative positions.

5. A two-part slip last comprising a forepart and a heel part having generally oblique, offset mating surfaces forming cooperative stop shoulders on the parts, communicating routs formed heightwise in the parts, a fiat, non-flexible link member disposed in the routs, a first pivot pin connecting one end of the member to the forepart, a second pivot pin connecting the opposed end of the member to the heel part, said hinge member having a resilient arm secured to an intermediate upper edge portion of the member and having a straight portion extending upwardly and rearwardly away from the body of the member, said straight portion being inclined at an angle less than forty-five (45") degrees with respect to the center line of the first and second pivot pins, a fixed pin in one last part for engaging the straight portion of the arm as the last parts approach their expanded positions to impositively hold the parts in said positions, contacting planar portions formed in the last mating surfaces above the stop shoulders, and contacting planar portions formed in the last mating surfaces below the stop shoulders, said planar portions all being normal to the center line of the said pivot pins when the last parts are in expanded, operative positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

